Express-car



J.- T. CONDON.

EXPRESS GAR..

(Nov Model.)

F/ygented No?. 16, 1886.

ATTORNEYS.

IIIIIIII Q .WI I.. l. 0

State of Iowa, have invented a new and use-A ful Improvement in Express-Cars, of which' TENT- FFP-ICE.'

JOHN THOMAS ooNDoN, on xiNcsLnY, iowa.l

' 'EXPRESS-CAR.

SPECIFECATION forming part o' Letters Patent No. 352,858,dated bl'overnber16,1886.

Application filed August 30, 1886. Serial No. 212,937. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.- Be it known that I, JOHN THOMAS CONDON, of Kingsley, in the county of Plymouth and the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an improved safety express-car, which willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure lis a longitudinal vertical sectionalvienT of my improved exp ress-oar, taken on the 'plane indicated byline xm, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by line y y, Fig. l, and looking down onthe inside of the bottom of the oar.' Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the plane indicated'by-line z z, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the iron cage or box with its sliding shutters and the lamps contained therein.

The same letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all the figures.V

.Referring to the several parts by letter, A represents the body of the express-car, which isplated or covered with sheet-iron,either outside or inside, but preferably on the outside, as that will et'fectually' prevent the car being set on relb'y train-robbers. The Windows B in the upper part of the car are provided With iron shutters C, or other similar projections. The spaceinside of the car is divided by the vertical' iron partition or partitions D into the large central space, E, in which all ordinary express packages, bundles, or boxes.

are placed, and the small room F, of which there may be one at each end of the car. The iron partitions are provided with' the sliding or swinging inside iron doors, G G, through which the messenger enters and leaves the small rooms F, and these partitions are also formed with the small Windows, H, like a ticket-sellers window, having the inside metal covers, I.

J J represent the sliding metal 'side doors of the car, which are connected by the pivoted connecting-rods K,Whioh extend through small apertures in the partition to levers L, which are provided with' the usual pawls, M, engaging with the segments N, to hold the levers in their adjusted positions.

llhe bottom, ends, and sides of the car are formed with the ports O, arranged as shown, and the end doors of the car arek closed'bythe inside iron doors, P P, whichV cannot be opened from the `outside by train-robbers. y

To the bottom of the caris Secured lan-ir'ony cage, @,within which are placed the lamps R,

and which protectsthe said lamps from being fbroken, the sides of this iron cage being normally closed by the sliding iron shutters S;

which are connected by a transverse rod, T,-

to which is connected one end of a connectingfrod, U, the other end of which is pivoted to the lowervv end of a lever, V, which extends through a small slot in the bottom of the car,V

near one end thereof', and the handle of which ci extends up within the small room at` the end of the car, and has a pawl, W, ,engaging with the Segment X. The'eage Q is surrounded byV a net-work of iron'bars, kwhich preventI the lampbeing ybroken when the shutters ofthe cage lare open.

The safe Y and all valuables of account are placed in the small end room, in which the express-messenger remains whenever the side doors of the car are open, or while the stationagent or other employ is within the car, thereby preventing any one from reaching him.

vWhen the train Stops at stations in dangerous places, the messenger remains within they ,Y

end room and opens the side door by means of the lever L and connecting-rod K, the sta-- tion-agent taking off and putting on all goods, and -the receipt-books being signed at the small window in the iron partition, the' messenger elosin g the side door before the receiptbooks are signed. Afterleaving a station,

when the side doors are closed and the train is in motion, the messenger comes out of his to disclose the movements of the robbers andv enable him to `fire on them through the ports O, which are constructed for thatl purpose, he thus being able to command every point around the express-car.

I prefer to secure my improved express-car IOO directly behind the engine of the train by means of strong couplings which cannot readily be broken or unconpled by the robbers, thus preventing them from detaching the expresscar and throwing it from the track, so as to force the messenger to. come out.` The eX- press-car being immediately next to the engine and having the ports O in its front end, the messenger can protect the engineer and prevent the robbers from obtaining control of the engine, which they usually first aim for, the engineer being frequently killed, while by placing my improved express-car next to the engine the messenger can control the entire front of the train.

A lamp, A', and a reflector, B', are placed over each end door, from which a reflecting light can be thrown at night in case of dan# If desired, the express-car can beplaced at any part of the train, orin its usual,position'.` The bottom of the car is covered onthe outside with sheet-iron, to prevent itsbeing set on fire. It Willbe seen that as there are ports in both sides and in each end, and also in the bottom ofthe car, the messenger has complete control of the situation, and can shoot down any robber approaching either door of the car or any part thereof, and thus` effectually protect his car, as Well as protecting the engineer and engine and the front part of the train.

When the side door is opened in dangerous places` forthe transfer of goods, the messenger is perfectly safe in his iron-Walled end4 room, and has perfect control of the doors ofthe car.` Without leaving the said end room, the receiptbooks, &c., being handed to the agentthrough the small window of the iron partition after the ironside door has beenclosed by the Inessenger.

Having thns describedmy invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

- iron partition having the metal door, and the,`

1- The Combination, with the body` 0f the car, of the iron partitionL having` the metal,A

door. and the small Window4 having the metal inside cover, theslding ironor` wood side doors ofA the car, the levers, arranged. asl de-` scribed, and'the rods connecting thesaidlevers,

andthe side doors, substantially as set forth.`

c 2. The combination, with the carhavingthe,

ports in its bottom, sides, and ends, ot' the small Windowhaving the metal inside cover, the sliding iron or.l Wood side doors ofthe car,

the levers, arranged as described, andthe rods connectingthe said levers Withthe side doors, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the car covered outside or inside with sheet-iron and having the ports in its bottom, sides, and ends, of the iron partition having the metal door, and the small Window having the metal inside cover, the sliding iron or Wood side doors of the car, the levers, arranged as described, and the rods connecting the said levers with the side doors, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the car covered outside or inside with sheet-iron and having the ports in its bottom, sides, and ends, 4of the inside metal end doors, the iron partitionhaving the metal door, and the small Window having the metaliinside cover, the sliding iron or Wood sidedoors of the car, the levers,ar-` ranged as described, and.` ther-ods connecting the said levers with the side doors, as` and for the purpose set forth.

5. rlhe combination, With` the car covered outside or inside with sheetfiron andhaving theportsin its bottom, sides, and,ends, othe metal cage secured,y beneaththe, car, and, havf, ing the sliding shutters connectedby the cross: bar and their-on net-work in closing the cage,

the lamps, the lever projecting throughithe.,

floor of the car, and the connectingfrod, sub,-y stantially as set forth.

6 The combination, with` the` car covered `outside or inside with sheet-iron, andyhaving.

the ports in its bottom, sides, and ends and; the windows near its top closed by theiron shutters, of theinside metal end doors, the iron partitionhavingthe metal:,.door, andthe small window having the metallinside cover, theslidingiron or Woodside doors of the oar,

the levers, arrangedasdescribed, therods JOHN THOMAS CONDQN- Witnesses:

E., HENDERSON, i T;- PEARSQN-, 

